Close your eyes, clear your heart
by Admiral Daala
Summary: Pay my respects to grace and virtue. Send my condolences to good. Give my regards to soul and romance. They always did the best they could


"_Waiting for the end to come _

_Wishing I had strength to stand _

_This is not what I had planned _

_It's out of my control…"_

-Linkin Park

* * *

><p><strong>Bly<strong>

He was the trained to be one of the best, ingrained into his mind, body and soul to have impenetrable loyalty to the Republic and its Jedi generals. CC-5052 or Commander Bly, the name given by his trainer and it stuck had been assigned to the Jedi Master Aalya Secura and had been at her side since the start of the war.

She trusted him with her life, as he had come to do with his own. They knew each other's moves, body language and even tones of each other's voice. Bly had grown to respect Jedi Secura's way of thought on and off the battlefield and her promptness of getting the objective done with as few casualties as possible. While still having concern over her troops and sorrow of losing anyone, she still kept her head and led them to many victories.

The war raged on around them, but even in the midst of battle Bly found himself drawn to the dancer-like Twi'lek and even thought she may have feelings for him. When they finished the successful mission from New Holstice they returned back to Coruscant. Bly went back to the barracks and the general to the Jedi Temple. There she had received a lecture of warning from the Masters about attachment and they were not pleased at how close they thought she had become with Bly. She did not go into depth about how close she was or how close they thought she was with Bly, but just nodded to them and walked out.

She called Bly on his comlink and asked him to meet her at her quarters. There she confided in him that she did care about him, more than the Jedi code allowed. He didn't say much but instead gently ran his hand down her lekku causing her to quiver. He liked that he could cause a Jedi Master to shiver.

"Can you love a clone Aayla?" He had asked her.

"You're not a clone Bly," she said huskily and she kissed him.

* * *

><p>His latest mission was from Honoghr where he, Aayla and his troops had stopped a deadly toxin from being deployed to Naboo. Bly had sustained a bad head wound from a Jedi who defected to the Confederacy and knocked him unconscious, only to wake to see his General and the rogue Jedi locked in an epic battle. Bly scrambled to get out of their way, trying to get a clear shot at the Jedi. Only able to shoot him in the shoulder the first time, Bly aimed again, this time a clear kill shot. As his blaster fired, Aayla deflected the shot, not wanting the rogue killed. This, Bly would never understand. Distracted for a moment, the rogue Jedi made his escape. Aayla and Bly returned to the task force, Bly currently being treated for his wounds.<p>

He sat impatiently on the medical bed waiting for the all clear from the medical droid. He would not be allowed back until the droid okayed it.

"How are you feeling?" The sweet sultry voice filled Bly's ears. He turned and saw the Twi'lek general walking towards him. His general and he would always think of her that way.

"I'm fine, just waiting for the bloody medical droid to give me the okay. Are you okay?" Bly asked cautiously. Aayla had told him she had known the rogue Jedi personally and could only imagine what she was thinking.

She waved him off. "I'll be fine. Command has what they need and we're assigned to a new mission. Listen, they're giving us the evening off before we leave and I wanted to talk to you but not here. Come to the temple as soon as you are released."

"Ay sir," Bly nodded.

"And don't call me that," she gave him that smile as she retreated out of the medical bay.

* * *

><p>Bly knew where her quarters were. He had been there before. He remembered the kiss she had given him that night. She tasted like honey and uj cake and he wanted more. Bly looked both ways down the hall, no one in sight and knocked on the door. It opened instantly.<p>

Aayla stood before him and he drank her image in. She was beautifully built, perfect in his eyes. "It's quiet around here," he finally said.

"The Masters are tense. The war is not going in our favor," she walked right up to him and pressed her hands against each side of his face. "There is a darkness falling over the Jedi. It's coming; I don't know when Bly, but we all can feel it."

The graveness in her voice sent shutters down his back. "Can you feel it Bly?" She breathed into his ear.

"Yes," he murmured and in the first time in his whole shortened life, he felt afraid. Whatever was going to happen was going to be bad. "Aayla," he pulled her back so he could look at her in the eye. "I'll protect you with my life, you know that."

She smiled sadly at him. "I know, my brave Commander." She paused for a moment. "The Masters fear that we have grown too close." Bly raised an eyebrow.

"Have we?" he asked.

"In any other circumstance I would tell them to go to hell, Bly. But we're in a war and stretched thin. I can't abandon them and I can't give into my emotions. I hope you understand."

Bly stared blankly at Aayla. "I do," but he didn't. What about that kiss she gave him? Why did she ask him to come here? He had so many questions for her and he couldn't make his mouth work.

"Thank you Bly. Maybe after all of this, we can make it work. Bly, do you have plans for after the war?" She asked suddenly.

He needed to get out of this room. The walls were closing in on him, too many personal questions that he didn't know how to handle were being asked. "Whatever I am ordered to do," he answered.

* * *

><p>The ride to Felucia was quiet. They were to penetrate the Nigkoe Detention Facility where Barris Offee and her apprentice were being held captive.<p>

Bly buried his personal feelings for the Jedi general deep within him so he could at least get through this mission. Once landed, Aayla, Bly and a talented slicer who accompanied them name Ekria fought their way into the prison. With much surprise and confusion by Bly, Aayla demanded the guard to let them see Offee.

"A little nudge is all it takes," She shrugged. They managed to get to Offee and her apprentice with not much hassle, but getting out was another thing. They found the entry way blocked by battle droids.

"Take cover!" Bly shouted to the Jedi as he them with blaster fire. Seeing a ladder that went to the top of the building, Bly ushered the Jedi to climb while covering them. As they reached the top, Bly threw down a thermal detonator, obliterating the inside of the facility, along with the droids.

"Good work Bly," Aayla commended. Bly just nodded and called in his troops to pick them up.

"We have to get to Shu Mai's compound," Ekria told them. After clearing the way of guards for the Jedi and the slicer, Bly and the Jedi rode speeders that they had "found" to the compound.

"Here!" Ekria shouted. They stopped outside of the gates which were heavily locked.

Barris and Aayla sliced open the locks with the lightsabers. Much to everyone's frustration, the compound had been long deserted but none the less they were able to make their way into the facility.

"Wait!" Both Bly and Ekria yelled. "I'm getting a reading that something has been released in the air," Bly started backing up, his troopers following him.

"It's a trap!" Aayla shouted. "The toxins, they released the toxins into the air! Everyone run!" She ordered. Mere seconds later, the base exploded sending them flying into the foliage.

"Every call in," Bly ordered and waited to hear back. Only a couple of his troops called back, the loss considerable._ Sith, _he cursed. More men lost.

"Generals?" He called out.

"We're here Bly," Aayla groaned as she sat up in a bush. A cut above her eye had blood running down. He was at her side immediately.

"You're hurt!" He made sure he didn't touch the wound as he examined her head. "Do you feel like a concussion coming on?"

Aayla gently moved his hands away from her and she looked at him, as if seeing through his T-shaped visor. "I'm fine Bly. We have to move on."

"Okay," he helped her up and the remaining troops along with the slicer and two other Jedi fell behind.

* * *

><p>"The water has been contaminated," Aayla said as she ran a test of the water. "The toxins have leaked into it. I'm splitting us up into three groups. Barris, you take part of the squad and head to Har Gau, Ekria and Zonder, you take another part of the squad and head to Jiaozi and Bly and I will Niango. Call in when you have reached you destinations and destroy the water facilities. They are all contaminated. May the Force be with you."<p>

The teams separated and Bly fell back behind Aayla. He felt it, something wasn't right. The darkness that Aayla had confronted him about was here, right now. He had to tell her, it was now or never and if he didn't he would always be plague with regret.

Bly opened his mouth but a sudden transmission through is HUD came through. "Order 66." _No! It couldn't be. _He had fought day and night with his general and he couldn't see her as a traitor. But loyalty to the Republic came first it always would. No matter how much he loved her.

"Bly, it suddenly got quiet. Do you think its droids?" Aayla asked.

"No," he clicked on his blaster and pointed it at her. She turned around shocked and betrayal plastered on her face.

"Bly! What are you doing?" She shouted. His hand faltered and he dropped his arm. The general let out a gasp when she felt the ripples of the deaths of her fellow Jedi.

"Sir?" One of his troopers questioned. He ignored them and walked right up to the Twi'lek. With a snap hiss and pop, his helmet was off and he took her into his arms. He had to look at her with his own eyes.

"What's going on?" She whimpered. "Why are you doing this?"

"I love you Aayla Secura," he whispered into her ear. "I hope someday you will forgive me." Before she could react the sound of a blaster went off and a confused expression crossed her face. Bly held her until she was limp in his arms. "May the Force be with you my general."


End file.
